In the Sand
by Darkeiya
Summary: Dedication to one's hero is a good quality, but this same quality is potentially harmful to others. :: Shadow x Amy ::


_**I've wanted to write a Shadow x Amy fanfic for a while, but I could never think of a good idea until now. I tried to keep them in-character… and I thank the people who pointed out the flaws, which I hope that I have managed to fix up sufficiently enough.**_

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Amy Rose smiled as she made her way along the beach, hearing the wet sand crunch beneath her yellow sandals. The pink hedgehog closed her eyes as a cool ocean breeze blew through the air, ruffling her short pink quills. The warm summer sun was shining brightly overhead, and only two wispy streaks of clouds were visible in the azure sky. The salty seawater crashed onto the beach, overtaking Amy's feet for a moment, before receding back into the ocean, only to return a few seconds later, in a never ending cycle.

The pink hedgehog's emerald eyes lit up when she spotted what she had been searching for—a wet twig, drifting in and out with the motions of the ocean, caught in a small tide pool. She made her way haphazardly through the cold water, shivering as it lapped calmly against her red swimsuit. Eventually, she claimed the slender piece of driftwood, whipping it through the air to shake the water off of it.

"This is perfect!" she told herself, looking over the twig once again. She walked back to a spot higher up on the deserted beach, where she had propped up her blue umbrella. Beneath it laid a green beach towel, which Amy picked up and wrapped around the lower half of her body. Now that her legs were protected from the chill of the seaside breezes, the hedgehog female sat down and began to draw in the sand with the twig.

As Amy drew, her thoughts began to wander to her hero, and she let out an amorous sigh. Ever since the blue hedgehog had rescued her from Dr. Robotnik back when she was eight years old, Amy had known since that Sonic was her intended. She had followed him everywhere since then, pursuing him relentlessly even when he took off. Sonic didn't seem to show much of a romantic interest in her, but Amy firmly believed that the 15-year-old hedgehog was just shy with his feelings. One of these days, he'd confess his love for her. She was sure of it.

Amy smiled at the finished drawing in the sand next to her. However simple it may have been, it certainly established its point well. A short quilled-hedgehog girl was holding hands with another hedgehog, this one with quills that were spiked back. Both of them had smiles on their faces. Amy let out another giggle as she added one final touch with the twig— a small heart between the two of them.

"Humph."

The 12-year-old was so startled by the sudden sound that she nearly fell over and destroyed her piece of sand artwork. Taking a moment to get to her feet, Amy turned around, finding herself facing…

"Shadow? What are you doing here?" Amy inquired.

The ebony hedgehog was standing behind her, his arms folded behind his back. He didn't acknowledge Amy's question, his attention occupied elsewhere. His blood red eyes were studying the drawing Amy had finished just seconds before. After a moment, he looked back at the pink hedgehog.

"I didn't know you were into art," Shadow said, giving a nod towards the sand art.

"Well, I'm not all that into it," Amy said. "Sometimes, if I'm really bored, I'll just start doodling. I wouldn't call myself an artist, as you can kind of see from this doodle here."

"Art isn't a forte for everybody. But this… doodle, you called it… what exactly is its purpose?" Shadow asked.

It took Amy a moment to realize what Shadow meant. "Oh, what's it showing? Well…" She picked up her stick and pointed to each figure as she spoke of them in turn. "That's me holding hands with my Sonic! Together forever!" She gave another wistful sigh, bringing a hand to her chest.

"_'Together forever'_? Did you finally win over the faker's heart or something?" Shadow asked.

Amy chuckled sheepishly. "Well… no. Not yet. I'm still trying, though!" She pumped her fist assertively. "Sonic and I _will_ be together, mark my words!"

"Have you ever considered the idea that Sonic might not be interested in you, period?" Shadow asked. "You've been chasing after him for... however long you've been after him, and still he hasn't fallen for you. What does that say to you?"

"Sonic's not very good with words," Amy said. "He's just shy about his feelings for me. But he'll admit it soon enough that he loves me. I just know he will!"

The ebony hedgehog was silent as he took in Amy's words. He gazed down at the sand drawing of Amy and Sonic together, and then back at the brightly smiling female.

"Nothing will deter you from making Sonic yours?" Shadow asked.

"That's right!" Amy said.

For barely half a second, something flashed in Shadow's eyes. Amy only caught sight of this by sheer luck, and was rather puzzled. What was that brief flicker of emotion-- disappointment? Anger? It was most likely the latter, which was an emotion everybody frequently attributed to Shadow. Then again, if he had any feelings at all, he never showed them, so Amy couldn't exactly tell.

"Humph. Well, do whatever you want. I don't care. But just remember…" he said, turning to go. As he did, Shadow gently tossed something at Amy, and she caught it neatly in her hands. He looked back at her over his shoulder, finishing his statement in a voice that betrayed no emotion.

"There's more than one fish in the sea."

Amy looked at the item that she had been given, and her eyes widened upon seeing it. It was a beautiful red rose, barely beginning to bloom. From the looks of it, it had been freshly cut. Confused, she looked back up at Shadow, only to find that the ebony hedgehog had vanished. The only evidence that he had been standing there was his footsteps in the sand.

**Fin**


End file.
